A drop of blood in a sea of piss

Slow Days

This month, I’ve come to the conclusion that taking days off (or even having days of doing Not Much) are actually bad for my health. (Note : This post is slightly tongue-in-cheek)

I know I’m renowned for keeping on going, for doing lots of idiot stuff all the time and staying busy. I do also regularly think that I’m doing too much, and need to slow down a bit. However, when I do so, I get massively hit with illness and general ill health.

The weekend before last, I took a day off, doing very little (still maintaining my step count, but not much else) which was much needed. However, that kind of day lets me relax, and my resistance becomes massively lowered – so this time I went down with a stinking rotten cold that hit me like a hammer. which lasted into this week.

This weekend, I did very very little on the Sunday (after a significantly hectic week) and came out of it with the start of a gout attack (happily now faded) and a whole set of aching bones, and an even worse night than usual.

The gout in particular was absolutely my own fault, due to the excesses of the weekend and the fact I hadn’t really planned of prepared for it at all in the ways I normally would. I’ve been able to recover from it quickly this time, because I do know what works and what I need to do.

But all told, I’m pretty sure that days off are just bad things for me.

[NOTE : I actually do know I should slow down more so that things aren’t quite as hyper and exhausting in general. It’s just that I’m incredibly bad at doing so, and this year’s showing no real signs of letting up on that score)

3 Comments on “Slow Days”

STOP and fix whatever is causing you to be ill when you do slow down. Your body will keep going and going and going. Sounds more like you are teering on the edge of physical too much, which your brain is coping with by ignoring any underlying little niggly illness?

Mind over matter is very powerful but you may be hiding more illness than you think, go get checked out, as you say this happens a lot so no harm in highlighting this to a doc??

I’ve had occasional gout attacks for a few years now – and there’s a family history of it as well. I manage it in general, and prepare if I know I’m going to be eating or doing stuff that might exacerbate it.

The first attack (which was still the worst) happened when Herself wanted me to cut out Diet Coke completely, and I changed over to Diet Sprite. The acidity of that caused the gout attack.

Since then, I’ve been aware of it and managed it – hence why I don’t mention it. And I know of a couple of people significantly younger than me who have it. Hey ho, one of those things.